PM gifts projects worth Rs 39,000 crore in an evening in Mumbai

Mumbai: Ahead of the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lavished projects worth nearly Rs 39,000 crore, including the second phase of two Metro lines, with a promise of more and speedier development for the future.

He dedicated the Mumbai Metro's Line 2A and Line 7, bought a ticket and took a ride from Gundavali station to Airport station amidst cheers from the people.

The PM also laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.

Modi inaugurated 20 of the chain of nearly 150 HinduHridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray neighbourhood dispensaries, and the road concretisation project of 400 km worth Rs 6,100 crore for the country's commercial capital to make it pothole-free in next 2-3 years.

Of Mumbai's total roads network of around 2,050 km, more than 1,200 km are either concretised or are in the process of being concretised, but the remaining 850 km pose severe problems for smooth transportation, and the entire scheme will help overcome this hurdle.

He also laid the foundation stone for two 360-bed multispeciality hospitals each coming up at Bhandup and Goregaon, and a 152-bed maternity hospital in Oshiwara.

Modi laid the foundation stone for 7 sewage treatment plants which will be constructed in Malad, Bhandup, Versova, Ghatkopar, Bandra, Dharavi and Worli with a combined capacity to treat 2,460 MLD and will come up at a cost of around Rs 17,200 crore.

On the occasion the PM initiated the transfer of approved collateral-free loans to over one lakh beneficiaries, mostly small traders, under the PM SVAnidhi Yojana, terming it as much-delayed due to political reasons, but has benefitted over half-a-million street vendors in the state.

He lauded the beneficiaries who have embraced the digital era and effected online transactions worth Rs 50,000 crore in a short period.

Present on the occasion were Governor Bhagat Singh Kohsyari, Chief Minister Eknath Shine, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Narayan Rane, Union MoS, MPs , MLAs, state Ministers and others.